25 Best Things to Do in San Antonio, Texas: Top-Rated Attractions 2022

25 Best Things to Do in San Antonio, Texas: Top-Rated Attractions 2022

San Antonio, Texas, is a vibrant metropolis, rich in culture and a source of immense pride for Texans. The best things to do in San Antonio, TX, include the romantic riverwalk, family activities, unique parks, and a variety of free attractions.

Be sure to allow plenty of time to sample San Antonio’s great burgers, breakfast, Italian, and other foods.

Table of Contents

1. San Antonio River Walk

The San Antonio River Walk comprises a network of paths paved with cypress trees, picturesque stone bridges, and lush landscapes that gently wind through the city, offering locals and visitors the opportunity to take in the beautiful natural scenery and take in the beautiful picture.

Views to the city. The road runs along the San Antonio River, symbolizing the heart and soul of the city and providing access to several of San Antonio’s top attractions, restaurants, hotels, and other forms of entertainment.

The River Walk features a section called The Museum Reach. This 1.33-mile stretch houses a variety of visual and audiovisual artwork, terraced landscapes with native plants, and pedestrian access to the San Antonio Museum of Art and the Historic Pearl Brewery.

2. San Antonio Museum of Art

The San Antonio Museum of Art houses a comprehensive collection representing more than 5,000 years of history and a variety of cultures from around the world. The museum is one of the main attractions in San Antonio.

Housed in a complex of buildings once the Lone Star Brewery at the Museo Alcance del Paseo del Río, the museum is world-renowned for its impressive collection of ancient Latin American, Asian, and Mediterranean art.

It also has a remarkable contemporary collection and Oceanic Art. The San Antonio Museum of Art is one of the best things to do in San Antonio, TX. The museum offers a variety of educational and community art programs for adults, students, and children and hosts various events throughout the year and rotating and traveling exhibits.

Address: 200 West Jones Avenue, San Antonio, TX

3. Missions of San Antonio

The San Antonio Missions National Historical Park is located about three miles from downtown San Antonio. It consists of four missions: Concepción, San José, San Juan and Espada.

The missions were built in the 1700s to expand Spanish influence from Mexico north. They were constructed as Indian towns, and the Catholic Church functioned as the city’s focus. Catholic missionaries converted Indians to Catholicism in the area and attempted to transform them into Spanish citizens.

In addition to the ruins of the historical missions and churches, the park has many other points of interest, including the Mission San Jos? Mill, the Acequia de Espada, the 270 irrigation system with its aqueduct and dam, and the Mission River promenade. Ten miles long, a scenic trail perfect for bird watching, walking and enjoying the surrounding nature.

Address: 6701 San Jose Dr, San Antonio, TX

4. The Alamo

The Alamo is a complex located on Alamo Plaza in downtown San Antonio, attracting more than 2.5 million visitors each year. This famous complex is the site of a ‘crossroads’ in Texas history, where many important historical events took place, from the first Spanish colonization and independence from Mexico to where the Confederacy stood firm.

One of the most popular attractions is where a small band of Texans, including James Bowie, David Crockett, and William B.

Travis held out for thirteen days against General Antonio López de Santa Anna and came to symbolize courage and sacrifice. For the cause of freedom. Admission to the Alamo, one of the main points of interest in San Antonio, is free.

Address: 300 Alamo Plaza, San Antonio, Texas

5. Main Square

The Main Plaza is the central and historic heart of San Antonio, established to provide the community with a place to gather and enjoy various entertainment. Dating back to the 1700s, this innovative public space features manicured gardens, massive trees, shady sidewalks, water fountains, and lunch tables.

The Plaza is home to the world-famous San Fernando Cathedral, the oldest cathedral in the country, and tourists flock to it each year.

The Main Plaza also hosts various community and public events throughout the year, including bustling Farmer’s Markets, art installations, live music concerts, and the annual Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony.

6. McNay Museum of Art

The McNay Art Museum was the first modern art museum open in Texas. Built by Marion Koogler McNay in the style of the Spanish Colonial Revival in the 1920s and later opened as a museum.

The mansion has more than 20,000 objects, some of which create the best Contemporary Art and Sculpture collection in the country, a research library with over 30,000 Volumes, and the Tobin Collection of Theater Arts.

In 2008, the internationally renowned French architect Jean-Paul Viguier built the Stieren Center to showcase the modern collection of Jane and Arthur Stieren.

Address: 6000 N. New Braunfels, San Antonio, Texas

7. Natural Bridge Caverns

The Natural Bridge Caverns are some of the largest known caves and caverns in the United States. They are named after the 60-long natural limestone slab bridge that spans the amphitheater setting at the entrance to the cavern.

The Caverns offer visitors a variety of fun things to see and do, such as searching for gems, fossils, and other treasures like the miners at Natural Bridge Mining Company and exploring the massive, otherworldly formations in the cave formed by droplets of water along the way. Overtime. On the Discovery Tour.

Experience the mysterious beauty on the Hidden Passage Tour, find your way through the 5,000-square-foot outdoor maze at the AMAZEn ‘Ranch Roundup, or zip-line through the skies over the caverns with the Canopy Challenge.

The Discovery Village has several restaurants, cafes, and bars, while the Discovery Village Trading Post offers gifts, jewelry, and souvenirs.

Address: 26495 Natural Bridge Caverns Rd., Natural Bridge Caverns, TX 78266

8. San Antonio Botanical Garden

The San Antonio Botanical Garden is a 38-acre botanical garden that offers visitors the opportunity to get up close and personal with nature.

The gardens feature various collections and display areas, including formal and seasonal display gardens that include a rose garden, a sensory garden, a water-saving garden, and a Kumamoto En Japanese garden.

The unique 11-acre Texas Native Trail features more than 250 plant species in collections representing three ecosystems. At the same time, the futuristic Lucile Halsell Conservatory takes visitors underground through an earth tunnel at Casa de la Palma that is cut 20 feet off the ground.

Visitors to the gardens can enjoy self-guided or docent-led tours, as well as special bird-watching walks and a variety of garden-related lectures, talks, and other events. If you’re wondering what to do in San Antonio, Texas, with kids, this is a great place to visit. Next reading: TX beaches

Address: 555 Funston, San Antonio, Texas

9. San Antonio Zoo

Tucked away in an old limestone quarry and open 365 days a year, the San Antonio Zoo is home to more than 9,000 animals of 779 species. Established in 1914, the zoo spanned 56 acres and was one of the country’s first ‘cageless’ zoos.

The zoo has received several awards for its unique breeding program, including being the first zoo to breed the endangered white rhino in North America successfully. It has one of the largest collections of birds in America.

The best way to see and experience the zoo is at the historic San Antonio Zoo Eagle, a miniature train that runs through Brackenridge Park and the San Antonio River, with several stops at the Witte Museum Kiddie Park and the Japanese. Tea Gardens. Enjoy lunch at the train station cafeteria? Located next to the train station gift shop.

Address: 3903 N. St. Mary’s St., San Antonio, Texas

10. King William Historic District

The King William Historic District is a historic area of San Antonio located just south of the downtown district. The District was once agricultural land that belonged to the San Antonio de Valero Mission, later divided among resident Indian families or sold at a public auction to be distributed on present-day streets.

The District has a long and rich history beginning with a large German settlement in the 1840s through the Renaissance and the restoration of many old houses and houses from the 1950s.

The area became San Antonio’s first designated historic District in 1968 and today is listed as a National Register Historic District with much to offer visitors along the way of an interesting architectural renaissance and a rich heritage to explore.

11. The DoSeum – San Antonio Museum for Children

The DoSeum is a fun-filled educational museum and one of the top family attractions in San Antonio, TX. The museum aims to provide children with a place to learn through thinking, inventing, dreaming, creating, constructing, making, and playing with a variety of hands-on, hands-on exhibits and exhibits.

The 65,000-square-foot DoSeum building features a host of state-of-the-art exhibits that will amaze kids and adults alike, including an interactive puppet parade, a spy academy filled with math challenges, an ADA accessible treehouse, an interactive robot house named Baxter, a musical staircase, and a river for children.

The museum also houses a large outdoor exhibition and a shaded play area with water features. Relax with a coffee at the DoSeum Caf ?, or shop for fun souvenirs at the DoSeum store.

Address: 2800 Broadway, San Antonio, Texas

12. Morgan’s Wonderland

Morgan’s Wonderland is a unique theme park specifically designed for people with special needs. Located in northeast San Antonio, the 25-acre park features a variety of wheelchair-accessible rides, rides, and attractions, including an antique carousel, a pirate island playground, a music garden, and a play area.

Sand games, a lake for fishing and catching, and beautiful gardens with picnic areas. The park’s Starlight Amphitheater hosts a variety of shows, acts, music concerts, and other events, and a winding walkway around the lake offers beautiful views.

Morgan’s Wonderland has been named one of America’s Best Theme Parks for its bright and colorful themes, friendly and welcoming atmosphere, a variety of fun and exciting play landscapes, and free admission for guests with special needs for free.

Address: 5223 David Edwards Drive, San Antonio, Texas

13. Majestic Theater

The Majestic Theater is in San Antonio’s landmark and one of its most famous performing arts venues, offering concerts, Broadway shows, comedians, and many other events.

The spectacular, incredibly ornate building is located in downtown San Antonio, Texas. John Eberson designed the Majestic Theater, built-in 1929 in a Spanish Mediterranean style. After closing its doors in 1974, it underwent extensive renovations before reopening in 1989.

The meticulous restoration of the decorative elements of the beautiful theater returned the building to its original glory. If you’re looking for ideas for a romantic date in San Antonio, catch a performance at the Majestic Theater.

A national historic landmark, the theater has 2,264 seats and three balconies. It is home to the long-running series Broadway in San Antonio and a variety of concerts and performing arts attractions.

Address: 224 E. Houston Street, San Antonio, Texas

14. Briscoe Museum of Western Art

As you stroll along the picturesque San Antonio River Walk, you will notice a magnificent restored 1930s historic neoclassical / art deco building, the campus of the Briscoe Museum of Western Art.

The museum is a great place to immerse yourself in the rich traditions and heritage of the American West through its art and history. The museum has nine galleries displaying permanent collections, temporary exhibitions, special events, and community programs.

Some of the museum’s most popular exhibits include Pancho Villa’s saddle, an original Chuck Wagon, a diorama of the Alamo, and various works by Frederic Remington and members of the Society of Taos Artists.

Address: Jack Guenther Pavilion, 210 W. Market Street, San Antonio, Texas

15. Institute of Texan Cultures

The Institute of Texan Cultures, a part of the University of Texas, San Antonio, researches and promotes ethnic, heritage, historical, and social issues through exhibits, programs, and special events such as the Texas Folklife Festival.

The museum celebrates the stories of immigrants who made their lives in Texas and became part of Texas’s multicultural society. The museum is just steps from the River Walk and the Alamo. Established in 1965, the facility has 65,000 square feet of interactive exhibits and displays.

The library, located on the third floor, contains rare books, manuscripts, personal documents, more than three million photos, and about 700 recorded oral histories.

Address: 801 E. Cesar E. Chavez Blvd., San Antonio, TX

16. Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch

Ostriches, Zebras, Giraffes, and Buffaloes in Texas? Alone at the Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch is a 400-acre natural safari park outside San Antonio, not far from New Braunfels, Texas.

You can see more than 500 animals of 40 species, some native, some exotic, and others in danger of extinction, from all corners of the world living happily in the vast green space, which is as close to their native habitat as the zoo can make it.

Visitors can admire the animals as they drive through rolling green hills, between substantial live oaks, and through stream beds, watching them go through their lives without disturbing them. If you can’t go on safari in Africa or Asia, you can still take an exciting ride to Natural Bridge Ranch.

Address: 26515 Natural Bridge Caverns Rd, San Antonio, TX

17. SeaWorld San Antonio

SeaWorld San Antonio is a 250-acre marine park and aquarium located in the Westover Hills in San Antonio, Texas. Opened in 1988, this popular park is the largest marine theme park globally.

It offers a host of attractions and activities such as roller coasters, shows, rides, tours, live animal attractions, and various family activities.

Animal lovers will be happy to know that the park is home to dolphins, penguins, seals, sea lions, otters, rays, eels, tropical fish, several different sharks, American alligators, whales, and flamingos. The most popular shows feature trained killer whales, belugas, and dolphins.

Address: 10500 Sea World Dr, San Antonio, TX

18. Liberty Bar

Liberty Bar is one of the oldest bars and restaurant institutions in San Antonio, initially opened in 1984 and located within a renovated Benedictine convent building.

The famous King William Historic District Bar serves a high-quality menu of south-of-the-border influenced gastropub fare throughout the day, including homemade fettuccine dishes made simply with thyme and garlic or with hearty and unique ingredients like shrimp and spicy Morita chili sauce.

Excellent sea and land dishes include the encilantrado salmon, the lamb sausage patties with Morita aioli, the quail with green mole, venison, or wild boar sausage links served with roasted potatoes Creole mustard.

Roast bowls and northern tips are also offered, along with creative sandwiches and burgers and great dishes to share, like the bar’s minguichi cheese, made with goat cheese and feta cheese and poblano peppers. An extensive beverage menu features non-alcoholic Mexican sodas and iced teas alongside creative cocktails, beer, and wine.

Address: 1111 S Alamo St, San Antonio, TX 78210

19. Brackenridge Park

Brackenridge Park is where San Antonio residents relax, jog, walk their dog, play ball with the kids, or celebrate a birthday.

This beautiful 343-acre public park established in 1899 includes the banks of the San Antonio River, the tranquil Japanese Tea Garden, the San Antonio Zoo, the Sunken Garden Theater, a senior center, ball fields, and several pavilions for all kinds of celebrations and events.

It is a beautiful space to spend the day, have a picnic, tan, or play with a group of friends. There are 2.8 miles of bike and jogger trails and a fun playground for the little ones. You can play golf on the oldest golf course in Texas, see the art exhibit at the Witte Museum, or take the kids to the zoo.

Address: 531 Brackenridge Ave, San Antonio, TX

20. Six Flags Fiesta Texas

Six Flags Fiesta in San Antonio, one of America’s most popular entertainment parks, sits on 200 acres of land and includes an incredible variety of attractions and shows for all ages and interests.

Thrill-seekers will enjoy Thrilling Rattler and the Goliath roller coasters. The whole family can enjoy watching the Roadhouse Country show or the spectacular summer night laser and fireworks production Lone Star Nights.

ZoomJets or Buckarooz will thrill the little ones. And if you weren’t getting enough adrenaline, try Batman: The Ride, the world’s first 4D free-flight roller coaster.

It will lift you 120 feet up the hill and make you flip six times before you drop. You won’t go hungry at Six Flags, as there are restaurants for all tastes, and you can find everything from juicy burgers to Italian pizza, Mexican and Asian food, sandwiches, sweets, and much more.

Address: 17000 IH-10 West, San Antonio, TX

21. River City Run

Get in shape and explore San Antonio at the same time at River City Run. River City Run is a one-of-a-kind tour through the heart of San Antonio and caters to all ages and levels of runner or runner.

The five-kilometer run takes place every Saturday and Sunday morning and passes many of the critical attractions offered by the River Walk and the downtown area.

The races are led by a tour guide who will share exciting and entertaining trivia about the city’s history as you pass a variety of famous landmarks and places. The tour runs at a comfortable pace for all abilities, and there are frequent stops along the way.

22. Confluence Park

Confluence Park is an urban park approximately half a mile from Mission Concepción de San Antonio, located along the road that connects the Misiones de San Antonio, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Various events cover diverse interests, making the park an attractive community gathering place.

The 3.5-acre park is a project led by the San Antonio River Foundation. It has educational facilities and meticulous landscaping overlooking San Pedro Creek and the San Antonio River.

The former CPS storage yard has become a gateway to the river portion of the Reach Historical Mission, where local students can engage in hands-on learning about water resources and ecosystems.

The park’s most notable feature is the BHP Pavilion, which features vertical concrete forms that trap and funnel rainwater into a 100,000-gallon underground storage tank. The striking structure also provides shade over a large area of the park.

Address: 310 W Mitchell St, San Antonio, TX 78204

23. Ranger Creek Brewing & Distilling

Named after a small creek in San Antonio, Ranger Creek Brewing and Distilling is an industrial brewery and distillery that produces a selection of craft beer and whiskey and offers tasting tours on Saturdays.

The only “brewery” in Texas, Ranger Creek produces a range of small-batch craft beer, including Oat Meal Pale Ale and Red Headed Strangler, as well as Texas Straight Bourbon and Whiskey and White Whiskeys.

The tasting room is the best place to sample the brewery products, along with a simple rotating menu of seasonal food that is the perfect accompaniment to the golden liquids. A unique educational tour of the Brewstillery is offered on Saturdays, where you can learn about the beer and bourbon-making process.

Address: 4834 Whirlwind Dr, San Antonio, TX

24. Central Market Cooking School

Learn to cook or improve your culinary skills with a cooking class at the Central Market Cooking School. Based in one of the many Central Market locations throughout Texas, including San Antonio, guests can choose from various cooking classes on offer.

Learn to cook game meat in the ‘Texas Parks and Wildlife: Game for the Holidays’ class. ‘Holiday Entertainment: Southern & Sumptuous’ is a delight for lovers of Southern-style cuisine, and ‘Decorate A Gingerbread House’ promises fun for adults and children alike.

Renowned chefs and culinary experts teach classes, and all ingredients and equipment are supplied. Evening classes include wine pairing, and special kids’ classes are perfect for holiday entertaining.

Address: 4821 Broadway Street, San Antonio, TX

25. Blue Star Arts Complex

The Blue Star Arts Complex is an arts-oriented mixed-use development located in the former historic warehouse building along the San Antonio River in San Antonio, Texas. The complex includes galleries, performance spaces, shops, artist studios, and the Blue Star Brewery.

It is the beating heart of the San Antonio arts and entertainment world. The Blue Star is also home to several non-profit arts organizations, such as Blue Star Contemporary Art and Jump-Start Performance Co. The complex also includes several bars and restaurants, which along with visits to showrooms from artists, they attract many people from San Antonio.

Address: 125 Blue Star 6, San Antonio, Texas 78204

Frequently Asked Questions: Best Things to Do in San Antonio

What is San Antonio most known for?

San Antonio, TX, is known for being the seventh-largest city in America. It’s a popular tourist destination known for famous locations like the Alamo, Sea World, and The San Antonio Botanical Garden. The city is also home to barbeque, the San Antonio Spurs, and its bustling business district.

Is there a beach in San Antonio?

Below the busy promenade, the authorities of San Antonio have created a long, wide beach of fine, white sand drawn from the sea. If you follow the promenade around the bay to the south, you’ll reach Bay of San Antonio resort with several small sandy beaches.

Why is San Antonio so popular?

Famous for its impressive Spanish colonial missions and the battle surrounding one of them, San Antonio will surely be a hit with history buffs. The city also offers an eclectic food scene, from Tex-Mex cuisine to BBQ to farm-to-market food.

Is San Antonio worth visiting?

Home to some of the most famous historic sites in Texas, San Antonio is a wonderful city for sightseeing. If you want to add some fun activities to your itinerary, you’ll also find great opportunities for mini-adventures in or near the city.

What is the best month to visit San Antonio Texas?

The best time to visit San Antonio is from November to April, when the weather is comfortable and the hotel rates are lower. Summer sees the largest influx of tourists from in- and out-of-state.

What is the coldest month in San Antonio?

The cool season lasts for 2.8 months, from November 27 to February 20, with an average daily high temperature below 70°F. The coldest month of the year in San Antonio is January, with an average low of 43°F and high of 64°F.